India vs England Match Prediction: Who will win the 2nd Test?

Action in the India vs England series will shift from Leeds to Birmingham. The second Test between the two sides is all set to commence at Edgbaston on Wednesday, July 2.

The hosts currently have a slim 1-0 lead in the five-match series. They held their nerve in a tricky chase on the final day at Headingley, with Ben Duckett playing a starring role. England have named an unchanged side for the contest, with Jofra Archer not making the cut despite a long-awaited return to the red-ball side.

India, who fell short despite as many as five centuries across the two innings, have had to go back to the drawing board. Speculation has been rife regarding their potential changes for the second Test, with assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate and captain Shubman Gill adding fuel to the fire in their respective pre-match press conferences.

India's squad for the Test series vs England: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk/vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.

England's playing XI for the second Test vs India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

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England & India Net Sessions - Source: Getty

A lot will hinge on the team India put out. Jasprit Bumrah has been declared available, but the visitors didn't confirm that the ace spearhead will feature in Birmingham. Gill stated that a final decision will be made closer to the game, and that call could have a significant impact on the outcome of the Test.

If Bumrah is available, India will undoubtedly run the hosts close, like they did in the opening Test. Players like Sai Sudharsan, Prasidh Krishna, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who have limited Test experience, will improve as they become more accustomed to the conditions at this stage. It's a young team in transition, and time is the side's best friend.

That said, however, with so many questions regarding India's combination, it's easy to see that England are still the favorites for this encounter. Ben Stokes and Co. have had clear-cut plans in both departments, and their tactical sharpness has been on full display over the last two years.

These two sides are among the best in the world, but England have been a shade more convincing in recent times. Under Gautam Gambhir, India haven't quite mastered the art of winning red-ball matches, and it's hard to pick them as the team with the upper hand despite their immense potential and match-winning ability.

A close contest is likely, with England perhaps holding a slight edge.

Prediction: England to win the 2nd Test vs India.